Considerable current concern exists for persons who are physically challenged or have limited mobility. That concern has given rise to a demand for improved structures to accommodate handicapped people, in particular, structures for transporting between different levels. Although various forms of lift apparatus exist and have helped handicapped persons considerably, their users still face many obstacles. For example, where transport is along an inclined path, the development of safe, durable and economical lifts has presented one of the more challenging problems.
Chairlifts often are driven along inclined rails. Such chairlifts typically require specially manufactured components for use with rails inclined at different angles. Without specially manufactured components, the chairlifts usually fail to operate in an upright position, often dangerously tilting passengers during transport. Moreover, chairlifts are particularly difficult for passengers in wheelchair to board and disembark and such activities on inclines may be especially dangerous. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved chairlift facilitating boarding and disembarking and safely transporting passengers along inclined rails.
Recognizing the need for an improved chairlift, the present invention provides a chairlift accommodating most inclined rails. In particular, a carriage supporting a chair assembly for movement on an inclined rail may be selectively positioned to provide a relative spatial relationship between the carriage and the chair assembly correlating with the inclined rail. In the disclosed embodiment, a support bracket extending from the carriage may be fastened to a base of the chair assembly in different selected positions for defining different relative vertical distances between the carriage and the base. As different spatial relationships are necessary for rails of different inclination, the chairlift of the present invention may be used on most inclined rails.
Also, the chairlift incorporates a swivel mechanism for enabling a seat positioned on the base to move along an arcuate path relative to the base, between a transport position and offset access positions. The swivel mechanism includes a sliding component and a swivel component. In the disclosed embodiment, the seat is mounted on a sliding shaft extending vertically from the base and is also pivotally joined with a swivel linkage positioned horizontally between the seat and the base.
Moreover, a safety interlock is provided for use with the swivel mechanism for locking the seat in a transport position and for disabling chairlift operations unless the seat is in the transport position.
These, as well as other features of the invention, will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, considered together with the appended drawings.